Steele mackaye



(N o Model.)

. s. MAGKAYE.

PROSCENIUM ADJUSTER.

Patented Jan. 24. 1893;

MM eZ/M/ TH: wams vergas co. pHoro-umu. WASHINGTON. n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

STEELE MACKAYE, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPECTATORIACOMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

PROSCENIUM-ADJUSTER.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,482, dated January24, 1893.

Application filed May 25, 1892. Serial No. 434,290. (No modeh) l Totl/ZZ when?, t may concern:

Be it known that I, STEELE MACKAYE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Proscenium-Adjusters; andIdo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it apro pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to theatrical appliances, and the object is toprovide means for regulating the size of the proscenium opening toconform to the various requirements and I5 uses to which a theater orothersimilar structnre may be put; it being sometimes necessary,particularly in the exhibition of spectacular or scenic effects, toprovide a large opening in order to properly display a set-scene or zoother scenic arrangement, and immediately after to reduce the size ofthe opening so as to exhibit the scene in part only, or partiallyconceal from View the scenic arrangements, objects, or persons on thestage or platform z 5 in rear of the proscenium opening.

To this end I have devised improved means for enlarging and contractingthe proscenium opening at Will, so that without a moments delay andalmost imperceptibly to the audience, except as to the result, andduring the performance or exhibition, the opening may be enlarged orcontracted in conformity with the requirements of the occasion. y

The invention will lirst be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims at the end ofthis specification.

Referring to the drawings, which form a part of this specification, andin which simi- 4o lar letters of reference are used to denote similarparts, Figure l represents a front elevation, partly in section, of theproscenium of a theater, or other similar edifice, with my improvementsapplied thereto; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

A, A', denote laterally movable slides or Wings which may be hung uponsuitable rolls d, a', adapted to travel upon a track or rail D, whichmay be 'fixed above the proscenium 5o arch or opening I), within therecessed Wall as shown.

B, denotes a vertically movable slide or drop, which extends across theproscenium opening at right angles to the side wings A A', and isadapted to move in suitable 55 guides Z?, b. The slide B, is suspendedby means of the cords or cables B', B2, the ends of which are secured tosaid slide. From the point of attachment to the slide B, the cords B',B2, pass over friction rolls or pulleys b', 6o b2, and b3, b4,respectively, and have their opposite ends secured to the enlargedportion of a drum or shaft E or to pulleys B3, B4, fixed on said shaft.

C, C', denote endless cords or cables which 65 may be xed as at a2, 0,3,to the lateral slides A, A', so as to cause said slides to move with thecords. The cord C, has one end fixed to a reduced portion of the drum orshaft E, or to a pulley fixed on said shaft, and passes 7o thence overfriction rolls c', c2, c3, and around the latter back past its point ofattachment a2, to the slide A over a friction roll c4, and thence to theopposite side of the shaft E or pulley on said shaft. rlhe cord C',passes in 75 a similar manner from a correspondingly reduced section orpulley on the shaft E, over friction rolls or pulleys c5, c6, and aroundthe latter back past its point of attachment at a3, to the slideA',overfriction roll c7, and thence 8o to the opposite side of the shaft E orpulley ou said shaft. By this means, when the shaft E revolves one endof each cord or cable C, C', will be wound upon the shaft E, While theopposite ends of said cords are being unwound therefrom, and as theslides or wings A, A', must move with the cords, said wings may be madeto approach or recede from each other, so as to enlarge or contract theproscenium opening, according to the direction in which 9o the shaft Eis rotated. The same movement of the shaft will raise or lower thevertical slide or drop B, by winding the cords B', B2, upon the pulleysB3, B4, or unwinding the same, so that when the lateral slides are movedinwardly the vertical slide will be simultaneously lowered, andvice-versa thus enlarging or contracting the proscenium openinguniformly on all sides by the simultaneous movements of the vertical andlateral slides.

It will be observed that inasmuch as there are two lateral slides andbut one vertical IOO slide, the Width of the proscenium opening would becontracted or enlarged more rapidly than the depth, if all the slideswere permitted to move at the same rate of speed. I therefore provideawinding drum or shaft in the form of a differential windlass withenlarged and reduced portions or with pulleys of unequal diameters fixedthereon, and secure the ends of the cords B', B2, to the enlargedportion, or larger pulleys, and the ends of the cords G, C', to thereduced portion, or smaller pulleys, so that the slide B may move abouttwice as rapidly as the slides A, A', and thereby increase or decreasethe depth of the opening uniformly with the increasing ordecreasing ofits Width.

F denotes a pulley or band wheel by which power may be applied to theshaft E, or any suitable means may be employed for this purpose.

The proscenium opening may be of any desired size according to the sizeofthe building or the wishes of the constructer, and although my presentinvention is designed particularly for regulating the size of openingsof a large area, it is equally Well adapted for use in theaters andsimilar buildings with openings of ordinary size, and hence I do notdesire to limit the application of the invention to any particular use.

The arrangement of the operating mechanism may also be varied in anumber of Ways and various devices may be employed for effecting thesimultaneous adjustment of the vertical and lateral slides. If desiredmechanism may also be provided whereby the vertical and lateral slidesmay be adjusted independently' of each other, and while I preferablyemploy means for accomplishing the simultaneous adjustment of all theslides, I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction andarrangement of parts shown and described herein.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

l. In combination With the proscenium opening of a theater or similarstructure, the laterally adjustable side Wings or slides, the verticallyadjustable slide or drop, and means for adjusting the same,substantially as described.

2. In combination with the proscenium openin g of a theater or similarstructure the laterally adjustable slides, the vertically adjustabledrop, and means for simultaneously adjusting said slides and drop so asto uniformly enlarge or cont act the proscenium opening, substantiallyas described.

3. In combination with the proscenium opening of a theater or similarstructure the laterally adjustable side Wings or slides, the verticallyadjustable drop and means for simultaneously adjusting the drop andslides, so as to cause the drop to move at a greater rate of speed thanthe side Wings, for the purpose of uniformly enlarging or contractingthe proscenium opening, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

STEELE HACKAYE.

Witnesses:

Pou/'EL CnosLnY, SIDNEY CLARKE WHITE, Jr.

